Foam distributor nozzle



March 4, 1952 R. P. WALKER 2,588,312

FOAM DISTRIBUTOR NOZZLE Filed Aug. 51, 1949 2 SHEET $SHEET 1 Wpww new .s wmw Aworrw March 4, 1952 R. P. WALKER 2,538,312

FOAM DISTRIBUTOR NOZZLE Filed Aug. 51, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET z Al I---...----.

W Pwaiupmervzor flfi'bornaxj Patented Mar. 4, 1952 FOAM DISTRIBUTOR NOZZLE Richard P. Walker, Essex, Md.,

Standard Oil Developm ration of Delaware assignor to ent Company, a corpo- Application August 31, 1949, Serial No. 113,260

2 Claims. (Cl. 299-427) The present invention relates to apparatus for spreading fire extinguishing foam over the surface of a burning liquid. More particularly it relates to a nozzle structure for discharging fire foam to the liquid surface with a minimum disturbance of the liquid, and to form a substantially continuous blanket of fire foam over the liquid surface.

Conventional means for discharging a stream of fire foam onto the surface of a burning liquid are frequently found unsatisfactory because of a tendency of the stream of foam to be broken down and disrupted by deflector plates or other means provided for the purpose of spreading the stream over a substantial area. Another defect is normally discovered in the tendency for the stream of foam to penetrate the surface of the liquid, also causing a breakdown of the foam, and resulting in a non-uniform or discontinuous blanket of foam.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a means whereby a stream of fire foam is discharged onto the surface of the liquid to be covered as a substantially smooth and continuous blanket of foam, without disruptive impact of the stream against deflectors or other elements beyond the point of discharge of the stream. Specifically the invention contemplates a foam discharge nozzle from which the stream of fire foam may issue as a substantially flat stream of more or less uniform thickness, to be distributed over the liquid surface smoothly and without turbulence or deep penetration of the liquid.

The invention and its objects may be more fully understood from the following description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of the apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along the line 11-11 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a similar View of an alternate form of construction.

Referring to the drawings in more detail, the numeral 1 designates the wall of a storage vessel for liquids, the surface of a body of liquids therein being indicated by the numeral la. Extended through the wall of the vessel is a fire foam supply conduit 2 provided at its inner end with a conduit discharge member 3, having an inlet 3a secured to conduit 2, as by welding, and an outlet 3b.

At the outlet end 3b of the member 3 is a discharge nozzle 4 composed of an upper distributor plate element 5, which as shown is an annular element secured to the outlet end of member 3,

concentrically therewith. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the plate is welded to the outlet end 312 as a horizontal flange thereon. Below the upper plate element 5, and dependent therefrom is a lower distributor plate element 6, of substantially greater radius than the element 5, secured in spaced, parallel relation to the upper element by means of bolts 1 and spacer units 8. As assembled, the two plate elements provide for radial discharge of a fire foam supplied from conduit 2 through member 3, as a substantially flat stream peripherally of the nozzle.

The plate element 6 is provided with a slotted portion 9 extending from the center of the element radially outward, the portion 9 having a length shorter than the radius of said discharge member 3, and on its upper or inner surface the plate element carries a flow control or shaping element ID. The element It is a generally cone shaped element, provided with a smoothly rounded convex apex Illa, and preferably having slightly convex curved sides Iflb. The element [0 has a base radius greater than the length of the slotted portion 9, and is secured to the element 6 by means of a stud bolt ll, concentrically of the element It], extended through the slotted portion 9, and engaging plate 6 through a washer l2. The apex of element l0 extends upwardly toward the outlet 31).

In operation, the nozzle is disposed so as normally to extend into closely spaced relation to the liquid surface 2, with the lower distributor plate in parallel relation with such surface.

The stream of foam flowing through the outlet end 3b of member 3 is smoothly reshaped by the cone element Ill, and directed radially out,

ward between the plate elements 5 and 6, and thence discharged radially from the nozzle as a substantially continuous flat, circular sheet. By moving the cone element I0 radially along the slotted portion 9, a greater flow may be induced through one are of the circumference of the nozzle than through the remainder so as to accommodate for eccentric placement of the nozzle in the vessel served, or irregular vessel shape.

The form of apparatus illustrated by Fig. 3 is similar to that of Figs. 1 and 2, except as to the manner of securing the nozzle 4 to the conduit member 3'. As shown, the outlet end 3'!) is flanged, as at 3'0. The upper distributor plate 5 is provided with a collar member 5'a having a peripherally threaded flange portion 5'b, and the assembly is made and maintained by means of a union nut I 3 having a flange portion l3a. In this form of the device, the nozzle 4' is rotatable, when the nut 13 is loosened, so as to permit more specific direction of the flow pattern obtained by adjustment of the cone element l. Preferably, the upper surface of upper plate element 5 is provided with markings of some sort which are disposed for alignment with the slotted portion 9 in the lower plate 6', whereby the location of the slot may be determined for the purpose of posi-.

tioning the nozzle for directional flow as desired.

Also, as shown, in Fig. 3, the supplyconduiti" may be extended through the vesselroof instead of the sidewall I.

What is claimed is:

1. In a means for distributing fire foam, a con-- duit member having an inlet end-and an-out1et :v

end, and a nozzle secured to said conduit member at the outlet, comprising an upper, annular, distributorplate mounted. concentrically with said conduit at the outlet, extending radially outward therefrom, a lower distributor'plate element; of substantially greater radius than said upper-ele-' ment, rigidly suspended from the upper element in concentric, spaced, parallel relation therewith, a slotted portion in said lower element, shorter than a radius of the conduit, extendingradially said cone element longitudinally of said slotted portion. a

2.,, Apparatus according to claim 1, in whch said nozzleis rotatably secured to said conduit member.:

RICHARD P. WALKER.

REFERENCES CITED The;,following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 316,581 Stratton' Apr. 28, 1885' 346,796 Andrew Aug. 3, 1886' 562,863- Storm" June-30, 1896 1,997,854 Bulman Apr.- 16,1935 7 2,465,420 Barnett Mar. 29,1949 

